Cosmetic applicators comprising a wand, or handle, formed by injection molding and having a foam tip attached to one end of the handle are known. The tip is usually made of two pieces of foam rubber which are heat sealed together. When the pieces of foam are heat sealed, a hard ridge forms therealong. Disadvantageously, this hard ridge can be irritating to sensitive areas of skin, such as the area around the eyes.
Conventional applicators have other undesirable characteristics in that the handle tends to disconnect from the foam tip, sometimes termed the sponge portion, due to deterioration of the adhesive after use or when it is used in a rough manner. There are generally two types of connecting means which give rise to this problem. In one type of connecting means, adhesive is applied to one end of the handle and then the handle is inserted into an opening between the pair of sponge pieces so that it is adhered to them. In the other type, the applicator may be made by preforming a sponge block then plunging the handle into it. Both types of applicator connecting means are disadvantageous.
Several patents attempt to address the aforementioned deficiencies of the prior art, i.e., the undesirable disconnection of the tip from the wand. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,238 to Levine discloses a handle having helical ribs formed at the handle end. Fibrous material is evenly deposited over the ends and assumes the shape of the ribbed ends. Disadvantageously, the exterior surface of the applicator, where the fibrous material is deposited, is uneven. Thus, the exterior surface is not smooth and the cosmetic medium deposited in the crevasses can not be applied to the intended area and therefore is wasted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,660 to Oohinato et al. discloses a core rod and a sponge portion at an inner end of the core rod. The sponge portion is molded integral with the core rod and then subjected to foaming. The sponge portion is provided with disconnection preventive means at the inner end of the core rod; the disconnection preventive means is coated with a rubber film so that the sponge portion is firmly connected to the core rod via the rubber film. Despite its asserted advantages, the patentee admits that the design is undesirable because the tip portion "is liable to be disconnected from the core rod due to a low magnitude of resistance between the core rod and the sponge portion when it is designed in smaller dimensions as is the case with a . . . small-sized applicator." U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,660, Col. 1, lines 42-46 (emphasis added). The Oohinato et al. method of manufacture is also undesirable if the sponge portion material is prefabricated prior to applicator assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,932,277 to Borah discloses a moistening device. FIG. 11 illustrates a screw threaded fastener with a central stem having spiral grooves resembling a screw head, which holds the sponge in place and prevents it from becoming displaced from the receptacle while it is being used. In addition, the Borah patent shows that the screw is flat. The Borah patent is disadvantageous, however, because the foam tip does not completely surround the screw; thus, the exposed screw could cause injury if it came into contact with sensitive areas, such as the sensitive skin of the eyes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,491,274 to McNeill discloses an applicator tip made of a single piece of synthetic foam having a non-uniform thickness. Col. 2, lines 50-52; and Col. 3, lines 9-13. The applicator wand has, for example, projections which engage the applicator tip and secure it to the wand. The shape of the McNeil applicator tip and wand, however, could make manufacturing difficult due to the non-uniformity of the tip and the shape of the preferred wand head.
Also a source of difficulty is how to assemble in mass production a cosmetic applicator made from a solid piece of foam. The difficult arises when a cavity in a foam applicator tip is attempted to be created because foam is a flexible material. A foam tip has a tendency to compress when a cutting tool is pressed against the tip which may result in either the creation of a non-uniform cavity or no cavity at all.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,130 to Halford, et al. discloses a swab article having a bore in the body of the swab. The bore is created by a rotating, hollow cylindrical tool. The cylindrical tool may not, however, be effectively used to create an appropriate cavity for a wand end having a flat head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,212,847 to Melcher et al. discloses a swab and method of manufacturing. Melcher et al. discloses that if the pad portion is formed without a slit, then the slit can be formed with a hand operated knife, a movable blade or burned with a hot electrode. A hand operated knife and a movable blade, however, may have the disadvantage with creating a cavity as described above. Similarly, the use of a hot electrode on a cosmetic applicator tip may be disadvantageous because it may leave unsightly hard ridges.
What is desired, therefore, is an applicator comprising a wand having an attached tip, wherein the tip is reliably secured to the wand without disconnection even after extended and rough use, wherein the tip is made so that it does not have any hard ridges that could irritate the user, wherein the tip completely surrounds one end of the wand, wherein the tip is also attached to the wand by an adhesive which is applied during the assembly process which does not require drying for further handling, wherein the applicator is inexpensive to manufacture and can be quickly and easily assembled.